With less than three weeks till I jet off to the other side of the world, I’ve been checking off the list of things to get finished/organised/freaked out about. The Easter long weekend was here so I decided to tackle my room and begin packing it up to move out.
For weeks I’ve told myself this was going to be an easy task, don’t stress it. I mean I only moved in here 6 months ago, and at that time I cleaned out the majority of my belongings and shipped the rest off to storage (thanks again mum). I was glad that I’d come across unclutterer on the internet, or else, I’d have had a hard time cleaning through the clutter and the whole process would have taken me weeks. Get More Information on where you can store your stuff and declutter your space.
So you can imagine how I was feeling at about this moment.
I had clothes, cables and all sorts of random paraphernalia spread around my shoe box of a room. This simple process of deconstructing my living quarters had turned into a matter of sink or swim. The first moments it was all exciting to discover an old article of clothing with money still in the pocket or finding that long lost camera memory card with last years party photos still on it.
Then I looked around and discovered my escape route blocked, someone had begun a game of hide and go seek with my bed and somewhere an iPhone is ringing but do you think I can tell which pile of stuff it’s hiding under.
With nothing left to do but resign to the fact I have entirely underestimated the task at hand all I could do was to keep going, if I didn’t I was sleeping on the couch. At this stage beer improve my mood. But don’t bother asking for help on twitter, it just leads to excuses like I just fell down a flight of stairs sorry.
Slowly moving from one mountain of items to the next, progress was made. I amassed 5 plastic bags full of clothes destined for the charity bin. When you have clothes that have nothing wrong with them, (OK some should never see the light of day again, hello denim jacket with wool lining) pass them to your local charity and not the garbage man.
The rest was either boxed up for storage or passed straight to the bin like the empty boxes I found. Why I had all these empty boxes still perplexes me, yes they once had goods in them but now what is their purpose??
Eventually reaching the end of my quest I could relax knowing that my wardrobe now looks like this.
Really I should have known better than to tackle everything at once, especially considering how many times I’ve moved house over the last 10 years. It your attempting the same thing soon here are a couple of tips that might help:
- Start small, one section or draw each day
- Be ruthless. Your leaving the country that jacket won’t be fashionable when you return
- After you think you’ve been ruthless go back and do it again
- Once its boxed or bagged up leave it that way, there is no second chances
- Make a for sale and a donate pile
Reaching the end and finding my room half empty was a good feeling. It meant I was another step closer to compacting my life into a backpack. Speaking of my backpack, I also got around to a practice packing session but that’s a story for next week.
Everyone seems to be writing about getting rid of their stuff this week. Must be spring cleaning in the air (although I guess it’s fall there? ….never mind).
Anyways you’ve pretty much described my worst nightmare. You think I should NOT just ignore my mountains of stuff for another 5 months? Well okay…
If you have as many books as you say you do Stephanie, I’d have started last year 🙂
For such a tiny room I sure managed to squeeze a lot of stuff in here. I still have to box up a few things but the scary bit is over. Now I just need to get through my last week at work and I’m ready to rock and roll.
Hahaha, I was thinking the same thing, Steph. I feel inspired to throw out all my garbage.
The joy of moving…getting rid of all your crap!
.-= Candice´s last blog ..Sampling Beers at the NLC Beerfest, or One Girl’s Mission to Drink All the Beers in the World =-.
Oh Candice. It’s only fun for the first 30 min. Much like re-arranging furniture. its fun to start then you stop look around and think WTF have i done 🙂
I’ve been through that 8 months ago… And I wish I had started earlier 😛
I’ve left most of my stuff in big boxes in my parents house because I’ve waited the last moment to pack up.
Never underestimate the amount of junk accumulated in a room.. My worst nightmare? Books, magazines, papers, flyers…. Arg!
Cheers!
.-= Daniel N.´s last blog ..Ma Guitare Bavarde =-.
Hey Daniel. I counting my lucky stars I moved out of my 2 bedroom unit 6 months ago. At that stage I shipped a lot of items home and junked even more. Still this little room has way more stuff that it ever needed in it.
Way to go! Pack it up and get it outta there! You’re so close 🙂
I’m getting excited about getting rid of some of the stuff I don’t need. Granted I can store it at my parents’ house, but I think it’s symbolic too to let go of stuff I really won’t want or need when I return.
Oh Heather I wish it was all done. This weekend moving home will be huge. I don’t have lots to move its more the closure on my life in sleepy Ballarat that’s going to make it hard.
That last picture is so poignant. A little bittersweet 🙂
.-= Lauren´s last blog ..Wake Me Up When April Ends =-.
hehe Lauren, very much so. Now I just wish I hadn’t packed EVERYTHING from my wardrobe 🙂
Man, you are sooooo close!! One real revelation of travel is how little you can live with. When I started traveling regularly for work, it shocked me that I didn’t miss the tons of stuff I was living without for weeks at a time.
.-= Joel´s last blog ..Miami: From Douche til Dawn =-.
Joel I’ve been trying to work out why I have so much crap in this room of mine when I don’t use 90% of it. All I need are a few clothes, a bed, computer and a tv. Why is there all this other stuff I do not know.
Congrats, man! It’s certainly a hassle to pack it all up, but life is so much simpler once you’re moving and all you have to worry about is the stuff on your back. Lookin’ forward to following along on your trip.
.-= Johnny Vagabond´s last blog ..Photos: Ruins and Roots in Ayutthaya =-.
Hey Wes. You sure you didn’t bring all your stuff with you when you left, that pack of yours sure was big and heavy 🙂
I’m looking forward to being free of the extra junk, even if I will miss some of it.
Ahhh I cleaned out my bedroom yesterday. Took me literally ALLLLL bloody day. Eventually my “just say no” mentality kicked in and things were getting empty. I was actually able to fill up a whole Savers donation bag –which is VERY surprising seeing as I have a massive sentimental streak and refuse to give anything away.
But yes, things like a denim jacket with wool lining were happily thrown into the corner 😛
Hope all goes well with your preperations!
Oh Pearl, whoever let me buy that jacket must have been pissing themselves laughing I’m sure of it.
I do enjoy the process of cleaning out, its just when you try and do it all at once it becomes apparent its going to take all bloody day 🙂
Moving out was such a bitch – it took me weeks. Trying to decide what stuff could stay in storage in San Francisco, and which stuff I would need in Philadelphia at my parents for the months before I departed, and the months I return after my trip. It was distressing, to say the least, and you’re not plagued with a girl’s problem of incredible attachment to inanimate objects called clothing, shoes and purses.
.-= Lindsay´s last blog ..Girls Will Be Girls at the Chatuchak Market =-.
haha Lindsay, I can just imagine you going through all your shoes etc and having to weight up do I keep it or do I dump it 🙂 I never got out of my student life of just have what you need. Think its going to serve me well for my travels.
That bed photo is hilarious! I can feel your frustration in this piece, Chris. Something like this can get really out of control before you know it. I think your tips are excellent, though!
.-= Sabina´s last blog ..Let Me Out of Here! – Six Tips for Coping When You’re Trapped in Travel =-.
Sabina it was just crazy. This weekend as I move out will be even worse but at least I’ll be done then. I still have some final stacking at home but it will be finished. The only moving I’ll have left will be of my backpack from hostel to hostel.
I was running ragged trying to prepare for a three-week trip to Europe and then six days before I decided I wasn’t coming home. I GAVE so much away I can’t even tell you; it was such a mess. PS If you had a few feet behind your bed for a mini-me stove and tiny counter, your room is the size of my entire house here in Costa Rica!
.-= Abby´s last blog ..Monteverde Cloud Forests =-.
Oh Abby you do have a shoebox 🙂 But it just sounds so cute I wouldn’t care.
I’ve given stuff off to family and charity. very little will stay unused. My entire kitchen goods including plates etc are staying in full use here with my sister.
I have seen rooms like yours many times in my life. It is the worst feeling with all your stuff everywhere. Your back starts to ache. You feel like you are getting nowhere. Then, several hours if not days later, you’re done. Congrats on cleaning! That’s not something I want to tackle just yet. I’ll come back to this post in June though when I do the same and feel your pain even more.
.-= Suzy´s last blog ..Suzy Stumbles Over Travel: Week of April 5, 2010 =-.
Suzy I’m starting to fear the move out this weekend more. I have my parents truck but I am not sure its all going to fit on for the trip home.
Then add in the fact I have to like clean my room. Damn you dust and stuff how did you get in here.
Well all I can say is its a worthy task for the outcome that’s fast approaching.